Torn Between Two Souls
by thecagedbirdsings
Summary: Peyton met Jake and Lucas on her first day in school and was drawn to both of them. Through high school, she has her share of ups and downs with her two great loves. Find out who she finally chooses... JEYTON and LEYTON
1. The Romantic In Me

I always heard that the beginning of a story was the ideal place to start and this was a story that has yet to have an ending so there is where I will begin. I had heard that love was a strange and wonderful journey taken by two people but it was only when I sat in the driver's seat myself did I realize that it was also confusing and sometimes more than two were caught in the drive.

Ever since I could remember I had always wanted to be in love. No, that wasn't necessarily true; at first I relished the idea of playing the field, of being able to date as many men as possible and having the opportunity to break their hearts at a single word. It might sound sadistic of me but secretly, every girl wishes to be adored by as many guys as possible, to be the centre of their attention. But that dream died a while back and I spent my nights with different thoughts in my mind.

I never dreamed of being overwhelmingly successful, never wanted drop dead gorgeous clothes or meeting celebrities I admired from afar or even finding the solution to cancer. Every night, as I watched the moon's light dance on my pale green walls, I dreamt of being in love. And not just any kind of passing love, I wanted to be hopelessly and desperately in love, so much so that I couldn't breathe around him or without him there. Maybe it was because when I was younger, I had watched my parents staring lovingly at each other and holding hands under the table that it had made me assume that being hopelessly in love made you happy.

But when I grew up the romantic in me knew that it didn't always make people happy; it could make us miserable. But I think that it was a risk I was more than willing to make.

But not one person around me knew that I felt this way. I was the dark devastated artist who only had emotion for her music; the rebel; the disturbed and I hate to admit it but the cheerleader. I guess when people on the streets look at me, the words 'blond' and 'ditzy' come to mind. In school, it's a different story; I'm the popular cheerleader who also happens to be a wannabe punk. And in the privacy of my room, in the hidden drawer therein lies my art and music that I will never allow anyone to see, the only one that showed me how romantic I truly was.

Maybe I'm living with different sides of me. Maybe everybody is this way. Or maybe I'm the only one living a lie.

Either way, my name is Peyton Sawyer. And this is who I am.


	2. Love At First Sights

I will always remember my first day of high school. Doesn't everybody? In a way it determined who your friends for the next four years would be, it determined whether you would be a geek or a socialite and it determined how happy you would be for the rest of your education. For some, it even determined who they would become and for the few special ones, it would determine whom they would spend their lifetimes with. Okay, maybe in really special cases but it wasn't completely unheard of. I've never heard of it but it doesn't mean I don't believe in it. It's like Eskimos, I've never heard of anyone I know meeting them but I know they exist?

Anyway, the first day of school or as Brooke Davis, my best friend would say, the first day of the rest of our lives started out in our homeroom classes. I still remember what I was wearing, a white shirt and a blue jeans skirt; my mother said it made me look mature. I was talking to Brooke as usual and we were trying to meet as many new friends as possible.

"Friends are like shoes, P.Sawyer" Brooke would tell me. "You could never have enough".

Brooke and I were actually from a different middle school than nearly everyone in our high school so we knew practically no one. I was trying to get to know this girl; I think her name was Bevin as I scanned through the noisy classroom for a familiar face when my eyes caught a stranger's face. Don't ask me why my eyes fell on him; I would never be able to understand why it did.

He had a good looking enough face, in fact he was probably the most good-looking guy in our class. But he was slightly stocky and chubby in a way that most guys are age still were. He had brown slightly curly hair and when he turned towards my direction, I realized that he had the nicest eyes I had ever seen. They were light brown and lit up every time he smiled which seemed like all the time. He had a permanent playful grin on his face as he joked around with his friends. He seemed to know that someone was staring at him because he turned to face me slowly. Our eyes connected and I blushed and quickly looked away.

"That's Jake, by the way" Bevin said, as she noticed me staring at him. "Jake Jagelski.

"Oh" I said, embarrassed to be caught. I didn't want Brooke to think I was interested in him; he was, as she would say, below me. I personally didn't have very high opinion of myself, I mean I was confident but I didn't think I was God's gift to mankind.

Thankfully, Bevin let the subject go and started talking about the art of applying lipstick but even as she spoke, I noticed bright red lipstick smudges on her teeth and in the corner of her mouth.

The day passed by pleasantly enough and I was pleased to find out that Brooke and I were in most classes together. I made a lot of friends and signed up for some activities, mostly at Brooke's insistence. But the moment I remembered most happened during lunch.

"Okay, Desert Island game, three movies?" Brooke said as we stood in the lunch line, waiting to but whatever slop they were to serve us for the next four years.

"John Tucker Must Die, Supercross, The Hitcher" I said as I contemplated if I should eat a chicken sandwich or take a risk and try, heaven forbid, the school special.

Brooke scoffed. "Sophia Bush movies?" she asked, scornfully.

"Yeah. I love her; she's my favorite actress. She's so cool" I said, as I took a plastic container containing a chicken sandwich. I wasn't feeling that reckless.

"Ugh, she's so annoying. I can't stand her," Brooke said, wrinkling her nose. "I think she had no talent whatsoever. And she thinks she's so pretty".

"You don't think she's pretty?" I asked surprised as we paid for our 'lunch'.

"She's about as pretty as my grandmother's dog" Brooke said, walking to the middle of the cafeteria in search for a table. I followed her as she continued. "And it's been dead for ten years".

"Really?" I said, wondering if I dared to continue. Brooke spotted Bevin and some other girls in a table right in the centre of the cafeteria and waved. "I kind of think she looks like you".

Brooke who had been walking to Bevin's table stopped in her track. She slowly turned to face me. "P.Sawyer, I love you. I really do but if you ever say that again, I will hurt you" she said, good-naturedly.

"But she does" I said defensively as we dropped our trays onto the table.

"Who does what?" Bevin said, looking at us.

"I was just saying Brooke that Sophia Bush looks like her," I said as Brooke jabbed me in the hip.

The other girls scrutinized Brooke with critical eyes. "Well, she does look a little like her but I think Sophia Bush's nose is a little longer and she had darker hair" Theresa said.

"What?" Bevin said. "Brooke doesn't look anything like Sophia Bush".

Everybody had their own opinion and I sat back, grinning as all the girls started comparing Brooke to Sophia Bush. I would never know propelled me to suddenly look up and later in the privacy of my mind, I would blame it on fate. Maybe it was fate but that moment when my eyes first rested on him would remain in my mind for years to come. His sandy blond hair seemed to gleam in the sunlight and he had the bluest eyes I had ever seen. He was actually too skinny, the complete opposite of Jake. But the sight of him blew any thought of Jake in my mind away. It wasn't that he was better looking than Jake because he wasn't. It was just that looking at him reminded me of the first time I listened…. really listened to music. The start of a lifetime love affair with something that seemed new yet familiar at the same time.

There's a belief that people were attracted to each other based on the vibe they each give out. Two people could fall in love without ever saying a word. Love at first sight, it was called. It wasn't like that when I looked at him but it was probably the nearest I had ever felt to that. It wasn't this way with Jake though. The mere sight of this other guy rendered me speechless and I felt more into him than other guy before.

"That's Lucas" Bevin piped up beside me. What was with this girl? Was she staring at me, waiting for me to look at a guy so she can tell me who he was? Maybe it was her day job. Bevin darling, what do you want to major in? Well Mummy, I think I want to get a degree in the field of stalkers.

"What's so funny, Pey?" Brooke asked, breaking my train of thoughts.

I looked around the table to find everyone looking at me who happened to be grinning like an idiot. I was startled. "Um…Nothing" I said, embarrassed. Once they returned their attention to clothes and jewelry, I turned to face 'Lucas' again. He was sitting in a table with a big group of people but now he wasn't talking to anyone; he was reading a big paperback but occasionally he would put down the book and laugh at something someone said.

He didn't seem to notice me staring at me so eventually I looked away. But this time, I had a slight smile on my face.

The thing about me that I never realized until that year was how shy I was around guys. Well, not all guys; just one in particular. Lucas actually. I never talked to him even though, I thought about him a lot. I was so nervous to be around him that I couldn't breathe. My friends hung out with his group a lot but every time they did, I hid in a classroom, drawing on a sketchpad.

It was a weird thing for me to experience because I was always self confident and self-assured. But around him, I just stammered and stuttered as I tried to think of something to say. Brooke and my other friends became close to Lucas's group and I found out things about him through them. Brooke found out a month after I started crushing on Lucas that I liked him. Although she wanted to match make us, I told her not to. Wistfully, I imagined that if it were meant to be, it would happen.

Jake on the other hand, became a good friend of mine. Well, not really because he wasn't the type to have friends that were girls but we talked a lot. In fact one of my favorite past times was to tease him. He was funny and really easy to be around and I didn't care what I said around him, which was nice.

Months passed us by and still I wished Lucas would notice the quiet blond girl with eyes like his but he didn't. Yet I remember the one conversation we ever had, it was all I could think of for days actually.

I had been walking towards the school's front doors, my head buried in my knapsack and my blond curls blocking my view when I heard someone beside me say "Hey". I looked up while I was still walking to see Lucas walking beside me. I nearly stumbled in my step but thankfully I didn't. At that moment I remember praying that I had checked my hair in the bathroom before.

In a split second, I was deciding to myself whether I should say hello or hey. Hello was too formal but hey was too laidback.

"Heylo" I said before mentally kicking myself. Heylo, what the heck? I sneaked a glance at him. "I meant to say 'hi' and 'hello" I said, correcting myself.

He smiled at me, clearly unnerved. "I'm Lucas, by the way".

"I'm Peyton," I said, wondering if I should put out my hand to shake his. I decided not to, I didn't want to appear more of a geek than I already did.

"I know," he said._ He knows who I am_, I thought feeling a need to skip. "I actually wanted to talk to you because I noticed a couple of your artworks in the school bulletin board and I wanted to know if you based them on a particular book?"

He wanted to talk to me about that? Based on business, not pleasure? This was going to be our first conversation ever? My hopes dimmed a bit but I wondered if my witty tongue could save me this time.

"Actually, yeah. I read this really… um good book," I said, stuttering a little. "And it was really sad so I decided to pour my emotions into a drawing" I said, eagerly. _Stop talking Peyton! Now he's going to think I'm an emotional freak!_

"Was the book 'The Kite Runner'?" he asked, as we reached the school's front door. He pushed the door open for me and I walked through, praying I didn't snag my shirt on the door. Brooke was standing in the front garden, talking to a friend. She noticed us and waved, giving me a surprised but pleased wink. I smiled at her before continuing our conversation.

"Yes. Have you read it?" I asked in surprised tone. Not many people read books like that. Maybe we had more in common that I thought. Maybe whenwe get married, we could have an oak paneled library in the ground floor of our mansion.

"Yeah" he said in response to my question. There was a slight pause in which he continued, "It was a good book".

I nodded in agreement because I couldn't think of anything else to say. There was an awkward pause in which I racked my brain trying to think of something to say to start another conversation but I drew a blank. I prayed that God would hit me with a light bulb kind of idea to continue our talk. I even tried tripping to see if he would catch me, maybe even get him to grab my arm.

Lucas let out an uncomfortable cough and I felt my face grow warm. _Come on, Brain, don't let me down. Wait, I think I'm getting an idea. Yes. Yes. Yes._

"Well, I got to go" Lucas said slowly as he stopped walking on the school's front garden.

_No! No! No!_

"Oh" I said, stopping beside him. "Okay".

"I'll see you around" he said as he walked away. And he gave me a nod. Which in my delirious love sick mind, I interpreted as 'the nod'. I stood there for a moment, still slightly as shock over my first conversation with Lucas. I heard footsteps hurrying behind me then an arm slung around my neck.

"Wait to go, P.Sawyer!" Brooke squealed as she gave me a side hug. "Details, dude!"

I grinned like a moron. "He gave me the nod," I cried joyfully as I jumped up and down giddily.

I had assumed that this was the start of something new, that maybe now we would start becoming friends and after that, hopefully something more. I went home, skipping; my mind filled with what I anticipated would happen in the course of the next month or so. Lucas and I hanging out, getting to know each other and maybe he telling me that he was head over heels in love with me. I would play it cool, I decided, I would tell him that I didn't know how I felt about him, tell him to give me some time. Then I would watch him bite his nails as I coolly waited for the right moment to tell him how I felt.

But nothing happened. I waited for another encounter with him, another smile, anything but none came. I even tried hiding around a corner, waiting for him to pass then 'bumping' into him but I ended up whacking into some burly senior who I think is on the wrestling team. As my butt landed on the grimy concrete floor, Lucas walked past not noticing me.

If you are one of those people who never had a broken heart, never felt all your hope and anticipation being crushed by a smile that never went your way… then I envy you. To have a heavy heart, especially one that had just days before been soaring on clouds, is never a pleasant thing. I remember those days when I came home; my shoulders slumped while I dragged my feet miserable because I saw him talk to another girl.

I knew it was just a crush that it wasn't bound to last but I had hoped that it had a journey filled with highs and lows instead of just being driven through mud filled streets. I was crazy! How could I have such strong feeling for someone I don't even know! But even when I said those words repeatedly to myself every night as I watched the sunlight creep onto my walls and dawn approached. But the question went unanswered, even if it did have an answer, it would be irrelevant. Did it matter 'how I could feel this way'? I didn't think it did because the only thing that mattered was how strong I felt.

Brooke was worried about me, I knew. She came over a million times trying to cheer me up with trips to the mall and even resigned to a trip to the local art museum. She was truly my best friend because I never told her how bad I felt about this whole Lucas thing but somehow she knew. I never wanted to tell her because I have a terrible sense of pride. I'm too proud to be miserable in the eyes of other people; I like people to think that I walk with wings attached to my ankles.

But I don't want you to think that I was miserable and depressed over this stupid crush everyday of my life. It isn't true. Most of the time I was pretty cheery and happy; it was just sometimes when my heavy heart sank my spirits. I still acted the same as I always did; I still smiled genuinely for no reason and brooded on my own as usual. I was the same Peyton Sawyer and for most of the time, I was happy.

But still I wished every night that that boy with the brilliant blue eyes looked my way.

I finally decided that I would carry out my own scheming plan; one that didn't involve me bumping into a senior the size of a truck. I had a plan that was brilliant in its simplicity, I was going to march up to Lucas Scott… and talk to him.


	3. The Sculpturing Of Our Love

"Sawyer!" I heard a voice call from behind me. I knew that voice and I chose not to listen. I kept my head buried in my locker and continued looking for a CD I had lost some weeks ago. I knew he knew that I had heard him yet chosen to ignore him and it annoyed him. And that was my favorite past times now, to annoy Jake.

"Peyton" he said loudly as he walked up to me. He stood next to my locker and leaned against the next-door locker.

"Have you seen a Maroon 5 CD about this thick?" I asked, not looking at him. I held up my hand and spread my fingers three centimeters apart.

"Aren't all CD's that thick?" he asked, leaning more comfortable against the locker.

"You're not being very helpful", I said, as I lifted up a stuffed rabbit I kept in my locker to see if the CD was underneath it. Stupid CD seemed to have vanished. I knew I should just keep records; they were so much easier to find.

"I don't mind" Jake said as he stood up straight and shut the locker door, nearly whacking my head in the process. I only just managed to lift my head in time to avoid eternal mental damage.

"You moron!" I said annoyed as I sucker punched him in the arm. I bent down and grabbed my bag from the ground. "You could have taken off my head or hurt my brain!"

"Like that would make a difference," he said, grinning. Then he shrugged in an offbeat way. "I didn't mean to hurt you; you just weren't listening" he said off handedly.

That was a Jake apology for you. He never ever used the word 'sorry'. Jerk. I started to walk down the hallway and he fell in step a few feet beside me.

"I wanted to let you know that you can't have cheerleading practice today" he said looking left and right with a slight frown.

"Why?" I asked, rummaging through my knapsack. Maybe the CD was in there. Like I said, the bigger it is, the easier to find. "Hey, if something is easy to find, does it mean it's easy to lose?" I asked, trying to figure out if there was some kind of logic behind it.

"What?" he said, a small smile forming on his face. "No, of course not, you nut. Anyway the soccer team is having practice today so you can't have cheerleading".

Did I mention that Jake was on the soccer team? Well, he was and I've seen him play. For someone that didn't look very athletically challenged, that boy could run. And he was one of the top scorers despite the fact that he was only a freshman.

"So?" I asked as we walked down the deserted hallway. "Are you getting all 'this field ain't big enough for the both of us' because it is" I said in an exaggerated cowboy accent.

He tried not to laugh. He doesn't like laughing at my jokes because I always tease him that I am funnier than he is and he hates that. He likes to think that he is the hilarious one and I cramp his style. Thus, he never laughs at whatever I say to prove to me that I am not as amusing as him.

"I know it is but the soccer players always get distracted when the cheerleaders practice near them" he said seriously. I nearly burst out laughing. Boys can be such boys. I mean girls don't get distracted by the soccer players. Basketball maybe but definitely not soccer.

"Yeah sure, we won't have practice" I said uninterested. "Now, why isn't something easy to lose if it's easy to find? Surely there must be some sort of cosmic balance in the universe?"

Jake opened his mouth to say something when a group of girls appeared at the end of the hallway walking in the opposite direction of us. He stopped walking and held back as I walked on. As soon as he was at least half a dozen steps behind me, he started walking again.

I swung around to face him, confused. He waited until the girls passed us then said slowly "I don't want people to think we're together" he explained.

I burst out laughing. My shoulders shook as I doubled up with hilarity. I clutched my stomach as it started to hurt with laughter pains but still I guffawed.

It was his turn to look confuse as he stood a few feet away from me, staring at me. "What's so funny?"

The laughter subsided. I wiped away the tears that had streamed down my face when I started laughing. "You and me together?" I said giggling. I took a deep breath to try to steady myself. I took several more big gulps of air and eventually got a hold of myself.

He grinned at me but before he could say anything, I said, "Don't worry, Tiny. No one would think you and I were together. I'm way out of your league," I said as I flung my hair in mock arrogance and walked off.

"Hey!" he yelled as I walked faster. He jogged to keep up with me. As soon as he was beside me, he continued, "First of all, you are in my league and second of all I'm not short so stop calling me Tiny".

"You are short, Jakey" I said as I looked at him. His eye level was the same as mine. We were about the same height, which I love teasing him about. "And by the way, when you said that I am in your league, was that a pick up line?" I asked, hiding a smile.

He looked horrified. He opened his mouth to redeem himself but shut it almost immediately. I hid my grin from him by facing the other direction. The art room came into view as we passed it and I caught a glance of someone familiar inside the room.

I walked a few feet past the room before the reality of _him_ being in the art room hit me.

"I got to go, Tiny" I said, as I turned around and walked back slowly towards the art room again.

Jake recovered and said loudly to my retreating back "Don't forget about the practice" he reminded. I waved him off.

I stood in front of the art room, my heart beating fast. My nerves nearly overcame me again but I took a deep breath and walked inside the room.

The usual sense of serenity I got whenever I walked into this room did nothing to quench my nerves. I looked around the room and realized that we were the only ones here. He was standing with his back to me bending over a sculpture. I decided to work on my unfinished portrait in the corner, not wanting to disturb him while he worked.

As I walked to the far end of the corner, for the hundredth time I thought how beautiful this room was. It was originally six classrooms but due to high demand, it had been converted to a huge art room. The walls separating the rooms were broken down and the remaining doors were closed off leaving only one big entrance. The walls of the room were white to begin with but over the years, they have become an artwork itself.

The far wall of the room was divided into many parts and each part held an abstract work of a student. The long wall adjoining that was also divided into many parts but this time there were signs, slogans and posters painted on it. The wall nearest to me held many different portraits, most of them were lifelike colorful sketches of humans but occasionally animals were drawn here and there.

The other adjoining wall was my favorite actually. It was one continuous artwork, scenery of a waterfall hidden in a forest during sundown, the sky an array of colors. If you look close enough, the color of the sky seemed like the color of the ocean and fire blended together. I could lose myself in that sky; along the bottom of the wall a forest had been painted. It didn't really seem like an actual forest because there were beautiful colorful flowers painted there. It was like a place out of imagination actually; for as your eyes roamed around from left to right along the bottom of the wall, the first thing you see is a couple having a picnic along a dark backdrop with trees a hundred feet along. The middle of the wall was dominated by a huge waterfall and its painting was done so beautifully that you could almost imagine that water was gushing down. On the other end of the wall was what I think made the wall so exceptionally beautiful; a girl sat in the corner her back against a tree crying as she held a picture in her hand. The picture was too small to see actually but it was painted that way. The viewer was supposed to assume who she sat crying about. Crouched over the girl, on the tree a few feet above her was a black panther.

I always imagined that the girl had lost her lover when he died and through the years she always returned to that one spot because it was the last place they were together. And that panther was a reincarnation of her lover and even though it as his last life, he remembered her and still loved her. So, he would watch her cry because he couldn't do anything to save her.

I know, I'm nuts. The panther was probably just hungry.

I stopped staring at the wall and returned my attention to the easel. I was trying to replicate the wall. I had just completed the painting of the left hand side and was working my way to the middle. But I couldn't concentrate. Every now and then, I looked up to stare at him. He didn't even know he wasn't alone because I had snuck in quietly. He was so concentrated on his work. He was wearing tan cargo shorts and a blue polo shirt. I couldn't help but notice the way the sunlight streaming in made his hair gleam.

The silence carried on for about ten minutes as he continued working and I kept sneaking glances at him. I had run out of colors so I walked to the other corner of the room for a refill.

I always thought of myself as being graceful but I think that I was so focused on him that I must have not noticed where I was going. I was walking, my eyes trained on his back when I whacked into a small table holding art books and paintbrushes as well as other bits. The table fell on its side and everything that was on it fell onto the ground.

"Oh no" I muttered, humiliation sinking in. This was the worst thing that could have happened. I would have kicked myself if I could have. Lucas must have finally noticed me but I didn't hear him say anything. He must have shaken his head and continued working. Or worst walked out of the room.

Mortified, I sank to my knees not looking at the spot Lucas had stood on the last time I checked. I started picking up the bits and pieces on the ground as I crawled around looking for hidden paintbrushes. I faced with my back to where Lucas was working on and placed the things I had picked up onto the table. I swung around, still on my knees to come face to face with the bluest eyes I had ever seen.

I let out a little gasp. Our faces were inches away from each other and all I could see were his eyes. He too was crouched on his knees and as I stared into his eyes, I wondered if dreams could really come true. His eyes reminded me of the sky, and they were so deep I wondered if I would sink into them. We stood like that for a moment, the most glorious moment of my life.

But he eventually pulled away with a little cough and started picking up the books on the ground. I recovered and embarrassed, I followed his lead. His hand landed on mine when we both reached for a book at the same time. _Our first touch. _His hand felt warm and complete on mine and before he pulled away, he looked up and again blue eyes fell on blue eyes.

He swiftly stood up, and dropped the books on the table. I felt a pang of dismay, the moment was over. But when I looked up again, he had his hand out to help me up. I hesitated before holding his hand and pulling myself up. His hand burned mine and I felt the butterflies in my stomach turn into huge moths flying round, making my heart race at an impossibly fast pace. Ripples of shudders went up my arm and my face automatically turned red.

I let go as soon as I was upright, not wanting to appear like I enjoyed holding his hand.

"Thank you" I mumbled, still embarrassed as I looked at the ground. I turned away and busied myself, organizing the books and other essentials on the table.

"Sure" he said casually as if my heart wasn't bouncing up and down like Santa Claus on Prozac. I heard him walk away behind me and I didn't know if I should feel relief or dismay. I think he must have returned to his sculpture because he was silent for a moment before I heard him mutter a curse.

In a split second, I wondered if I should say something to him. Would I appear too needy? But I wanted to talk to him again; should I wait for him to say something. You know play hard to get, that kind of thing. I made a quick decision and before I could regret it, I spun around to face him and ask "What's wrong?"

He looked up and a look of surprise came over his handsome features. I think he was shocked I was starting a conversation with him.

"It's my midterm project" he explained, gesturing at the undefined shape of blob in front of him with wet clay stained hands. "I'm trying to make a sculpture of a face. But I can't seem to get the eyes right" he said, sheepishly.

By the look of the thing in front of him, I would reckon that the eyes weren't the only problem. Sculpturing wasn't my favorite type of art but I was pretty good at it, if I do say so myself. But I didn't want to intrude on his business. Brooke always said 'let the guys come to you. All you have to do is stand and look pretty'. I didn't know how I could just stand there while he was staring at me expectedly so I smiled sympathetically at him and was about to turn around when he spoke up.

"I'll help you if you help me" he volunteered, raising his eyebrows

I smiled slowly. I nodded and said "yeah. Erm...okay". I walked over to where he was standing and he moved aside to let me pass. I stood in front of him and gently placed my hand on the sculpture. "The um... thing you have to do first is to make sure you get the...um...base right. So your base is too narrow" I said, pointing at his base. I couldn't see him but I was pretty sure he was standing on my left. "And all you have to do is..."

"Add more clay?" he asked softly directly behind me, very near my ear in fact. I jumped and my hands whacked the sculpture, breaking the entire left side of it.

"Oh my God!" I said, embarrassed and shocked at what I had just done. "I am so sorry! I'll fix it" I tried to fix the edges but the sculpture just fell into pieces again "I am so sorry"

He moved so he was next to me and laughed softly. "Its okay; no problem. But you do know you're fixing it on your own right?" he teased.

"Right" I answered weakly. He raised his eyebrows at me and I quickly added "but I think it looks better now than it did a minute ago" in a teasing voice.

He feigned hurt then grinned and sat down on the high stool across the table from me. I kept my head down and worked on it for a few moments before he broke the silence.

"Where do you learn how to sculpt like that?" he asked, clearly impressed. I hid a blush.

"Um... on TV actually" I said truthfully. "You know how they say TV rots your brains? Through extensive research as in sitting in front of the TV all day, I've actually discovered that it is scientifically proven to be more educational than Mrs. Lorne" I said referring to our biology teacher. He laughed and it encouraged me to go on "Actually I used to watch Art Attack when I was young like all the time. And you eventually pick things up"

"Art Attack?" he asked raising his eyebrows. "You're kidding. I loved that show, it what got me interested in art in the first place. You're the first person I know who actually used to watch that show" he said looking at me intently.

I looked away not wanting to get distracted by his lovely blue eyes. I let out a snort as I pointed to his sculpture. "You call this interested in art?"

He laughed again. "Okay, sculpturing is not really my best artwork but I paint pretty well" he said before adding "at least my mother thinks so" with a grin.

"I like panting too. Landscapes especially" I said, looking down at his sculpture again.

He moved a little bit closer to me indirectly as he tried to get a good look at the sculpture. Then he looked up and met my eyes. "What else do you like?" he asked, sitting back more comfortably.

I wonder if he knows what kind of an effect he has on me. He could stun me with just a look and render me incapable of thought with a smile. "Um..." I said, wracking my brain trying to think of a smart answer to that question. "The Simpsons"

"Jessica, Ashley and Joe or Homer, Marge, Lisa and Bart?" he asked, skeptically.

"The latter definitely, no question about it" I said as I turned around to grab a cloth from a table behind me. I walked back to where he was sitting and added pointedly "you missed out Maggie"

"I know; I was just testing you" he said.

"My turn to test. Which one is Patty, the one with the pink dress or the blue one?" I asked.

He opened his mouth to say something then rapidly shut it and frowned. I grinned.

"I always get the two of them mixed up. I give up, tell me" he said after a moment.

"I can't remember"

"How can you ask me a question you don't even know the answer to?"

"Easy, I'm a woman"

He laughed and said "I noticed". My heart rate immediately went up a notch and I hid my face to make sure he didn't see the red blush creeping on my face.

We talked for another ten minutes and I realized that we had a lot more in common that I had hoped for. We both loved painting and we read the same kind of books, watched the same kind of movies and did the same things.

"No, you're kidding" I said, surprised.

"I'm being serious"

"But it wasn't mentioned in any of the books"

"I know but J.K. Rowling stated it in an interview"

"This changes my whole perspective on him. I mean the fact that he didn't kill Grindelwald at first because he used to love him? I mean I always thought that Dumbledore was the great wizard with no flaws and always did the right thing but he actually put his personal problems ahead of like the whole wizarding community. I mean that's got to be like a million people" I looked at Lucas. "Right?"

"I'm not sure. We can do a head count" he said, clearly amused at my reaction.

"I mean I grew up reading Harry Potter. Dumbledore was like my role model, you know. The whole genius behind the slightly eccentric man...I love that whole character and now to find out that he was in love with the most evil wizard..."

"Second" Lucas interrupted.

"Second? Who was first?" I asked puzzled.

"You know who"

"I do?" I asked then grinned. "Oh, okay. Voldemort, got it"

"Don't say his name!" Lucas said before smirking. "My nephew used to scream every time I said Voldemort; he thought the guy was going to pop out of nowhere and eat him alive"

"I know what you mean. My cousin is the same" I said. "Once, I pinned her on the ground and kept saying the name over and over again until she started crying. Of course I was like eight at that time"

"And she was?" he asked curiously.

"Ten", I smirked.

He laughed. "I never took you for such a bully. You look so..." he paused and I held my breath but he just looked at me intently before changing the subject "so, um... that's a nice face".

"Hmm" I said staring at him. "Oh...the sculpture!" I said suddenly realizing what he was talking about. "Thanks".

"Now I guess it's my turn to help you" he said raising his eyebrows.

"Actually, it's fine. I don't really need help on mine" I said smiling. "Thanks anyway".

"So, why'd you help me on mine then?" he asked softly.

I stood up awkwardly for a moment shifting my weight from one foot to the other. Then I shrugged and smiled, walking to my side of the room, my back to him.

"Hey listen" he called out from behind me. I swung around and saw him standing near the doorway with his bag over his shoulder and holding his sculpture. He smiled at me. "Thank you... Peyton"

I nodded at him, trying to act cool but as soon as he walked out of the room, I squealed and jumped up and down. Oh my God, did he hear that? I tiptoed to the doorway and peered around the corner. He was standing a few feet away with a friend. I was about to walk away when I overheard them talking.

"Dude, were you talking to Peyton Sawyer?" his friend, Skills I think his name was, asked him.

"Wha-...Oh yeah" Lucas said. "She was helping me out with my project"

"Man, she's fine. You should go for her, Luke" Skills said. "I heard she has the hots for you"

Lucas laughed. Even months later, I could still hear the way he laughed at those words, it was a carefree laugh but it seemed so cruel, so heartbreaking.

"She's not my type, man. I'll never go for her" he said.

I stood there for a while silently and eventually I heard them walk away. But still I remained silent, I couldn't move... I was in shock. In my mind, his words echoed until they didn't make sense but still they stung... How in the world could I have thought that Lucas Scott was interested in me? Me, Peyton Sawyer...

Finally, I found the strength to walk to my easel where my painting stood. Every step felt like lead because my heavy heart was weighing me down. Lucas Scott and me? Where did I come off thinking like that? I stood in front of my easel and with the tears streaming down my face, I picked up my brush and smeared the painting black...

I thought that was the worse thing that could happen... That I had felt all that you could feel when you get your heart broken but apparently I had more room to fill with pain...

Because two weeks later, Lucas Scott started going out with my best friend...Brooke Davis


	4. I'm Not Okay

"So, there I was… Standing in the deserted hallway…just finished tutoring some kid who didn't realize that Asia was a continen

"So, there I was… Standing in the deserted hallway…just finished tutoring some kid who didn't realize that Asia was a continent…I was relishing the peace and quiet…and slowly opened my locker…when suddenly!" Haley said dramatically, stopping short. "The bell rang and it was pandemonium! Students were rushing out of every door in the hallway…and as I was dragged through the sea of people, I heard them all chanting the same thing….Brooke Davis and Lucas Scott?"

Lucas laughed nervously. "Yeah about that…."

"Tell me something Luke. Do I mean anything at all to you?" Haley asked as she started walking again. "Has the past ten years of my life not meant anything to you?"

"Haley…"Lucas started.

"Don't interrupt me, punk. You know I always assumed we had something going here" Haley said pointing first at him then at her. "But now" she threw her hands up in the air. "Now everything's ruined".

Lucas took a sip of his coke. "You mean me and you get together?"

"Wha-… No, Luke. Eww. Even as a joke, that's beyond repulsive" Haley shuddered.

"Don't worry, I don't take offense that easily" Lucas said dryly.

"Yeah. Good for you, pal" Haley said distractedly as she patted him on the back. "Anyway, where was I?"

"You were telling me how awesome I was?"

"Oh yeah, you're a great…" Haley paused. "I didn't even register that in my mind first"

Lucas laughed as he threw his can into the garbage bin. He looked left and right before grabbing Haley's arm and crossing the street. He did it more out of habit than for safety. They had been crossing the street like that since they were younger.

"Anyway, why didn't you tell me?" Haley asked in mock hurt.

"Tell you what?" Lucas said as they reached the other end of the street. He spotted a familiar blue van at the other end of the park. "You want a cone?" he asked as he jerked his head towards the ice cream truck.

"Don't change the subject!" she said before hesitating. She looked like she was having an internal argument with herself before saying in a small voice "chocolate chip and cookies and cream. Anyway, why didn't you tell me?"

Lucas shrugged. "I didn't know until it happened".

"Know what?" Haley pressed.

"That I was into her"

"So, how did it happen?" Haley asked as they walked towards the back of the line to the ice cream truck.

"We were staying back late, me for basketball and her for cheerleading one day. And I decided to walk her home since it was my way too. We somehow wounded up getting a snack together and I really enjoyed hanging out with her. Finally I dropped her of at her house and we were saying goodbye when next thing I knew, we were kissing" Lucas shrugged. "I don't know who kissed who but…" he trailed away.

"So, you do like her?" Haley asked skeptically.

"Well" Lucas paused. "Yeah".

Haley kept silent as they inched their way towards the front of the line.

"Haley?" Lucas asked slowly.

"What?" Haley asked looking at Lucas innocently.

"Spit it out".

"What?"

"You know you've got something to say so just say it so we can get on with our lives".

"I've got nothing to say"

"You've _always_ got something to say!"

"Well, people change" she said indignantly.

Lucas was silent too as he looked over the selection of ice cream. The couple in front of him finally decided that they could afford to eat one scoop of ice cream each and after promising that they would starve the next week to burn of the calories, they paid.

"Hi, I'd like" Lucas started before being interrupted.

"Okay, fine, I do have something to say" Haley said loudly as she looked at Lucas.

"Um, Haley" Lucas said as he jerked his head towards the big burly man who was waiting to take his order.

"Yeah, I'd like one chocolate scoop and one cookies and cream in a cone, chocolate sprinkles, a little hot fudge and almond nuts. Oh and two tissues to hold it please. And he's like two scoops of" she scoffed. "Green tea ice cream".

The guy nodded and disappeared as he went to get their orders.

"How do you know that was what I wanted?" Lucas asked annoyed.

Haley rolled her eyes. "You always pretend like you have to make some huge decision when you need to pick ice cream flavors. And you always say 'should I try something new' before picking the same ice cream because you have become set in your habits".

"Am I that predictable?" he asked worried.

"No, I didn't even see the Brooke thing coming. That was a shocker".

"SO, what is it you wanted to tell me?" Lucas asked as he searched in his pockets for his wallet.

"Looking for this?" Haley asked as she casually raised her hand, his wallet in it.

"I didn't even feel it this time!" Lucas said impressed. "You're getting better at this".

"Yeah, I know" she said buffing her nails. "I think that I could be the Michael Angelo of snatch theft it was an art. Obviously, I would never do it in real like. Only losers do that".

"That will be 3.59," the big ice cream guy said as he handed them their ice creams.

"I got this" Haley said as she opened Lucas's wallet and took out a five-dollar bill. "Here buddy, keep the change".

"Thanks" the big guy said. He winked at Lucas. "The little lady here is a keeper, don't let her go".

"Yeah, she's one of a kind" Lucas said as he snatched back his wallet from her.

"Anyway, I was trying to tell you that it just seems…" Haley paused, thinking of a word. "Presumptuous of you to jump into this".

"I'm not jumping into things. It's just a casual relationship. But I do like her. A lot. So I don't see why I should take things slow".

"It's just I don't really see you with her" Haley said carefully.

"Well, love is unpredictable. Kind of like you and my little brother" Lucas said, smiling at Haley slightly, waiting for her reaction.

Haley bit her lip. "I'm just tutoring him", she said stiffly.

"You can lie all you want, Rabbit Tooth but I know you have a crush on him" Lucas teased.

"Getting back to your love life" Haley said whacking him with her school bag. "You do know her best friend had the hots for you, right?"

"Her best friend?" Lucas said, blinking.

"Peyton Sawyer?" Haley pressed.

An image of bright golden curls and dancing blue eyes flashed in his mind. "Oh, her" Lucas said remembering.

"I kinda thought you liked her too?" Haley asked casually.

Lucas didn't say anything. He kinda thought that too.

I opened my locker door and glanced at the little mirror taped to the inside of the door. I nearly gasped. I looked bad, horrible really. There were black circles around my eyes and my eyes were red. I ran a hand through my hair, knowing I was making it even bushier and wilder than usual. Sighing, I shut the locker door and came face to face with Brooke.

"Oh God! You scared me" I said as I held my hand to my heart and breathed in heavily to calm my racing heart.

"Sorry" she said as she dimpled at me. "I wanted to ask you if we were still on tonight?"

"Tonight?" I asked blankly as I leaned against my locker door.

"Yeah, our weekly popcorn and movie night?" she said obviously, like it was something I should know. And I should. We'd been doing it since we were eight.

"Yeah, okay" I said distractedly as I picked my bag of the floor and walked towards the other direction.

"Peyton?" Brooke said in a small voice. I turned around to face her. "Are you mad at me or something?"

"What? Me? No" I said convincingly. "Why?"

She shrugged. "You've been avoiding me lately".

"It's your imagination, Snow White", I said tapping my head.

"It's just…" she paused. "If you're not cool about me and Lucas…"

"Lucas and I" I corrected, not even sure if I was right.

"You know, I'd pick you over any boy, right?" she continued.

I nodded slowly. "I know".

"And the only reason I even went for him was because you said you were over him. But if you're not…" she trailed away.

"No, it's cool" I said, nodding. "I'm fine, totally over him. Really, I am".

"I don't want hurt your feelings. Or you for that matter".

"You're not" I said, smiling at her. "I'm fine, Brooke. I just want you to be happy".

"Okay" she said, not looking entirely convinced. "I have to go…But call me later?"

"Yeah" I said smiling at her. But as I watched her retreating back, I wondered why I should.


	5. Our Destiny, My Fate Or Is It Too Late

I can't believe I'm spending my lunch in the library

**Hey guys! Wow, I'm actually proud of the story now! I'm blown away by the reviews! Thank you so much! The interesting thing about this story is its actually based on a true story. Anyway, I would love to keep getting reviews, it makes me complete chapters faster! So, more reviews, faster updates. Special thanks to 'alwayslovingyou' for the review. Okay, enjoy you guys!**

I can't believe I'm spending my lunch in the library.

Actually when you look at my lists of things I can't believe has happened, I don't think this is the top three.

I love reading, don't get me wrong. I picked up a book when I was five and a lifelong love affair with reading began. I've read more books that I can count. I read everywhere, on the bus, in my room, when I'm sitting alone in a café. It's nice to put myself in someone's shoes for once, which is how I interpret reading.

But hanging out in the library during lunch, which is the only brief interlude all day where you can actually laugh and hang out with your friends, was something I never saw myself doing. The words 'nerd' screamed right across my forehead. But I would rather be a nerd than hang out with the latest couple of the week, dubbed by every other ditzy freshman as 'Brucas'. Puke.

I scanned the shelves for any book that would distract me from my thoughts. _P.s. I love, Freakonomics, Jake Jagielski, Memories of a Heartbreak…Wait, Jake? _

I did a double take and sure enough saw Jake Jagielski through the empty space between the books, standing in the next aisle. He was facing his back towards me and I couldn't see what he was doing. I slowly placed my feet on the bottom rack of the shelf and clutched the upper shelves of the rack and tried to get a better glimpse of him. I could see his curly head and…. Oh no! The shelf tilted to the side and I quickly fell back, preventing it from collapsing. A few books fell on the ground as I faltered on my step, my arms wind milling as I tried not to fall. I tripped backwards over an overturned chair and landed flat on my butt.

Amazingly, that whole episode did not make a sound. Which I was thankful for as the last thing I needed was a bunch of library crawlers to laugh at me. However, I did hear a familiar noise and I looked up to see Jake staring down at me, laughing.

"That's nice of you", I scoffed as I turned away and picked up the books that had fallen. I gathered them in my arms and turned around to see Jake's hand in front of my face. I hesitated then grabbed his hand and he pulled me off the ground.

"Thanks, but I still hate you" I said, sticking my tongue out at him.

"I don't expect anything less from you Sawyer" he said as he put the books back on the shelf. "I would ask you what you are doing in the library during lunch but I guess it's expected from a nerd like you".

"Haha" I grumbled. "What are you doing here since everyone knows you can't read?" I said, smiling sweetly.

He laughed and held up his hands in mock surrender.

"Touché", he said, walking around me and sitting in a nearby table, holding two books in his arms. I followed him and sat down next to him.

"What's this? A picture book?" I teased as I picked up one of the books he had taken.

"I'm sure to you, letters do look like pictures", he said, grabbing the book back from me.

"Touché. So, what are you doing here anyway?"

He held up a book. "I've got a book report due in an hour".

I read the cover. "The Pearl? That's easy, it's less than a hundred pages long".

"It's even less when you don't have to read it" he said, holding up a book titled 'Easy Read: The Pearl'.

"Jake Jagielski! That's cheating!"

"It's my only solution. Either that or face three weeks in detention staring up at Mr. Daniels face". We both shuddered at that.

"Why didn't you just do it earlier?"

"Memory problem".

"Is that why you sometimes forget your name?"

"No, but it's why I sometimes forget yours"

I stuck out my tongue at him then stared as he grabbed a pen and paper and started scribbling furiously. "Do you want help with it? I have my finished report here in my bag" I asked.

"No, it's okay but I don't like cheating".

"Hypocrite" I said as I grabbed my bag of the floor. "Would it annoy you terribly my good man, if I sat here and drew while you do your work?"

"Yes" he said, not looking up.

"Good" I said, pleased as I took out my drawing pad and a charcoal pencil.

I propped up my knees and placed the pad against my knees as I started drawing. We sat in silence for a couple of minutes when he suddenly spoke up.

"So, I heard about Lucas and Brooke" he said casually.

The girl I was drawing had too big a nose. I rubbed it off and sketched it again.

"That they're going out" he continued.

The backdrop she was against had a waterfall, but as I looked at it, I realized that it didn't seem realistic.

"Someone in the football team told me and I also heard it from someone in homeroom"

I drew dark clouds in the sky, smudging them as I did so.

"They seem-.."

"Just shut it Jake!" I yelled slamming the pencil on the drawing pad. People around me started shushing and casting me annoyed looks. I ignored them and buried my face in my hands.

I covered my face, my heart hammering in my chest. My hands were trembling and I took steady breaths to calm myself down. I was ashamed to look at him but I finally raised my head to look at him. His head was bent over his paper and he was still writing furiously. I felt a sudden rush of gratitude towards him. He was the only person I knew who would go on pretending something didn't happened instead of reacting towards it. I needed that right then.

I picked up my broken charcoal pencil from the ground and stared at it. I then took another pencil and continued drawing calmly.

"So, did you see Heroes last night?" he asked me carefully.

I bit my lip. "Sorry"

"It's okay"

"I feel like an idiot"

"That puts you in my shoes for a day"

I laughed nervously. "Who knows? Maybe the feeling will stay"

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, but I want to ask you a question"

"If you're going to ask me out, Peyton, the answer it still no"

"Not even if I pay for my own meal?", I said, playing along.

"Even then"

"If I pay for yours too?"

"Maybe, I'll think about it"

"Do you believe in fate?"

"You paying for my meal is not fate, Sawyer"

"Seriously, Jake"

He put down his pencil and leaned back in his chair, thinking. Then he looked at me, his brown eyes meeting my blue ones. "I believe that things happen for a reason".

I nodded. "Karma?"

"Maybe. I believe that if I do something good today, maybe something good will happen to me tomorrow. But maybe it's linked in a logical way. Like I'm nice to you and you're nice to me".

"You're not"

"But then again, a lot of murderers are walking around with tons of money, happiness and other people's blood on their hands"

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. I never thought I would hear this come from Jake. He just didn't see a very… deep person. I leaned back in my chair, raising the front two legs off the ground and stared at him carefully. I thought I got him figured out from the first day I met him but now I was starting to think that there was more than him than meets the eye.

He was funny, that everyone knew. I also knew that he never let anyone in. He was more at ease joking around than talking about his feelings. He never talked about his feelings actually. He had a permanent grin on his face that seemed genuine. But it was always hard to tell if it was because he was a very hard person to read.

He had a lot of friends but I realized that he never relied on them or anyone else for that matter. He was a very detached person and he never bothered about what other people thought of him. His friends were all guys, in fact I was probably his only girl friend. Not that we considered each other friends. No matter what we were though, he was the only person I ever felt completely at ease with. Because he never judged me. I could be whoever I wanted to be and he would accept that. Because that was who he was. From a factual point of view, I was smarter, more popular and had a cuter smile than him. But God, how I envied him. I envied him for the way he never let anyone get inside his head and mess with his heart. I also envied him for his eyes. He had beautiful eyes.

He must have sensed me staring at him for without raising his head from his paper, he said "You know, if a thousand monkeys banged randomly on a thousand typewriters for a thousand years, they could write a book".

A smile graced my lips. "Well, there's only one of you and you don't have a thousand years".

"There's two of us actually", he said without skipping a beat.

"How's the book report coming?" I asked, sitting straight again and letting the chair fall on its front legs again.

"Okay. The book is about a pearl, right?" he looked up from his two-page report and stared at me, worried.

I laughed genuinely for the first time in days. "Yes, Jake. It's about a pearl".

I shut my locker door close and leaned on it for a moment, closing my eyes in weariness. The only good thing about today was that it was over. I rubbed my eyes and walked in front of me as I opened them. I came face to face with a pair of blue eyes that have haunted me every day for months on end.

"Oh God!" I exclaimed as I clutched my heart that was hammering madly due to the near collision and shock at seeing him when I expected the hallway to be empty.

"Sorry" Lucas said as he bent down to pick my backpack that I had dropped on the ground. He swung my bag over his shoulder. I cursed him for being such a gentleman. How do I get over him when he's always doing stuff like that?

"It's okay" I said, looking at him. I smiled carefully. "Hi" I said softly.

"Hi" he smiled.

"So, how come you're here after hours?" I asked, slipping my jacket on. It was a cool day.

"Basketball"

"Ah, I see"

"Your excuse?"

"I was in the-…"

"Art room?"

"Yeah"

"I figured. I always see you there".

I nodded and started walking towards the front doors of the school. "When do you see me there?" I asked, looking at him from the corner of my eye.

He looked sheepish. "I mean, um, when I'm there, you're…there too".

"Because we're in the same art class"

"Yeah, that's probably why too", he said laughing. "But I see you there in school after hours too. Because I have to walk past that door after practice anyway".

"Really?" I asked surprised. "Then why don't you say hi?"

"You always look busy"

"How can you tell if I'm busy when you just walk past the door?"

He ran his hand through his hair. "I sometimes stop to see what you're doing".

I raised an eyebrow. "Should I be worried?" I asked, nudging his elbow playfully. "I seem to have a potential stalker".

He laughed and pushed the school door opened for me. I walked through and laughed as he made some pun about school doors being so heavy.

"Peyton?" I heard someone call out from the school grounds. I turned around to see Brooke walking towards me with a big grin on her face.

"Hi!, I was just about to come and get you. See if you wanted to go shop-…" she stopped short when she saw Lucas come up behind me. "Boyfriend!" she squealed as she skipped up to him. "Hi" she said as he kissed her.

"How are you, pretty girl?" he asked softly as he wrapped an arm around her. My bag slipped of his shoulder and dropped to the ground. I rolled my eyes as I picked it up from the floor.

They seemed to be involved in some intimate conversation. They probably wouldn't notice if I just slipped away. I was two feet away when I heard Brooke call out my name.

"Hey, P.Sawyer! Where you running of to?" Brooke asked, entangling herself from Lucas.

"I've got to go. My mother's waiting up for me" I called over my shoulder.

"No, she's not. She's hanging out with my mother in The Gardens. They dropped me of in school to come and meet you".

I groaned inwardly and cursed the fact that our mothers were as close as we were. I wondered if they ever fell for the same guy. I swung around and forced a smile on my face.

"Well, I've got to go home anyway. Homework" I said, patting my bag.

"Come on Peyton, don't be such a nerd. Let's go and have a pizza" she smiled at Lucas lovingly. "All three of us".

Oh boy.


	6. Why'd You Look At Her?

"Hey, can I get a menu here please

"Hey, can I get a menu here please?" I called out to a passing waitress.

Lucas was whispering something into Brooke's here.

"Hello?" I said as the waitress just skated pass me on her roller blades.

Brooke giggled and twirled her hair.

"Okay, forget the menu. Just get me a Coke" I said as she placed a tray of food in the table next to us.

Lucas edged closer to Brooke and took her hand as she stared into his eyes.

"No, wait. You got any gin?" I asked as the waitress walked back to the kitchen.

This time she heard me. She scowled in my direction and grudgingly took a couple of menus to our table. She was a skinny medium height blond haired college student with tattoos that covered her little arms. Her legs were like little twigs and I wondered how she got around on them. I stared at them as she skated towards me, thankful at that moment for my flabby legs. At least I didn't have to worry about them cracking in half every time I took a walk.

"So, what will ya'll be having?" she said in a fake Southern accent as she dropped the menus on our table. She took out a little pad and made a little note as she continued chewing her gum. I was amazed she could even write. The only good thing was Brooke and Lucas finally came out of their little world.

"Hi. I'll have a..." Brooke started.

"A lemonade. Make it two" Lucas continued for her as he gave her a little smile.

"And a large pizza. Pepperoni with..." Brooke continued, as she squeezed Lucas's hand.

"Extra cheese" Lucas interrupted again. Brooke looked like she just received a Grammy for Supporting Actress as she started giggling again and kissed Lucas. Gag me already.

"Hey, what about me?" I called out as the waitress walked away with their order. I gave up and turned to face Brooke and Lucas kissing again. I groaned inwardly. Okay, that's it.

I kicked the table from underneath it, making it jump. Brooke and Lucas broke apart as they jumped away from the table. They looked at me quizzically.

"Oh my God! Did you guys see that?" I said, looking under the table. "There's nothing there. I thought maybe a dog or something. You think it was an earthquake?" I said, keeping a straight face.

"Affecting only our table?" Lucas asked, looking around. He turned to face me and I could feel my face turn red. He knew I did it.

"Weirder things have happened" I said shrugging.

"Anyway, where were we?" Brooke said as she turned to face Lucas.

"Hey, you know in Alaska, if you sneezed, your snot will turn into a green icicle before it hits the ground" I said conversationally. I know it was gross but I would have done anything to keep them from kissing. I mean I knew that they kissed but having them do it right in front of me was like watching my parents kiss. No wait, why am I comparing them with my parents? It's not like they will end up getting married and having kids. Oh my God, what if I'm the bridesmaid? In a wedding involving my best friend and the guy I liked. It would be like 27 Dresses the movie but even worse because it would be happening to me!

"Hey, do you remember that thing I was telling you about Becka and Luke?" Brooke asked Lucas, ignoring me once again.

"About them breaking up?" Lucas asked.

"Yeah. Well it turns out..." Brooke went on and on for a while about them She can be a real gossiper when she puts her mind to it. I mean, normally I wouldn't mind when she was gossiping to me but when she says it to someone else, it just sound mean.

"Here's your lemonades" the waitress said as she placed two glasses in front of Lucas and Brooke. (By the way, what kind of guy drinks lemonade? I mean Brooke should totally not date someone like that. I should date someone like that). "Here's your gin" the waitress said, dropping a glass in front of me.

"Wait, you're kidding right?" I asked as I looked in the glass. I looked up at her. "You could get arrested for this you know? Giving drinks to a minor". She smirked at me before turning away. Feeling daring, I took a tentative sip of the drink. Urgh! Tonic water. That killed my buzz.

"You know what guys, I just realized my mum's making dinner so I think I'll have to go now" I said making a show of looking at my watch.

They looked like they suddenly realized I was there. They made an act of being upset that I was leaving but I knew that they were glad. Having a third wheel was never fun. Being one was even worse. I ran out of the café as fast as I could.

"Phew!" I exclaimed as I threw the door open and the cool air hit me. I took a deep breath as I let the door slam shut behind me. The door slammed louder that I expected and several people inside the café looked out to see what had caused the ruckus. The waitress looked up too and when she saw it was me, she gave me a rude hand gesture. "Oh, that wasn't nice" I muttered as I walked away.

It was only after walking down a block did I realize how far my house was from where I stood. I groaned as I stood by the road, trying to estimate the distance. It was like three miles away which was a lot, considering the fact that I was tired and hungry. I shielded my eyes from the sun as I tried to brace myself for a long walk home.

A sudden splash of water hit me on the front of my clothes. "Hey!" I yelled as I jumped backwards. I tripped over my own feet and fell, landing on the pavement with a soft bump. I fell backwards and threw my head on the floor as I closed my eyes.

"Hey, are you okay?" a voice called out.

"Kill me now" I said as I opened my eyes wearily.

"Don't tempt me" Jake smiled as he gave me his hand. I groaned and grabbed it as he helped me on my feet. He waited until I was steady before making way to his bicycle which lay on the ground a few feet away from me. He picked it up and settled comfortably on the saddle as I looked at my wet clothes.

"Thanks for the shower by the way" I said sarcastically.

"Pleasure's all mine" he scuffed his shoe on the ground. "Heading home?"

"Yeah" I said, suddenly realizing that he was on a bicycle. "Hey, do you mind if I borrow your bike? I want to go home".

"How do I get home then?" he asked, amused.

"I don't know. That's your problem right?" I said, sweetly. He stuck his tongue out at me and I laughed.

"So, this bike big enough for the two of us?" I asked, eyeing the bike.

"That depends. Where do you live?"

"Bridge Heights"

"Too far out of my way" he said as he put his foot on the pedal and cycled away. I stared after him in shock. He had gone about fifteen feet before stopping. I looked at him quizzically. He turned to face me. "You coming or not?" he called out.

I squealed in delight as I skipped towards him. He smirked at my childishness. I ignored him and sat down behind him.

"This seems much more dangerous when you're not steering" I said as I looked around the back of the bicycle for handholds. "What speed do you go at?"

"Funny you should ask Sawyer" he said in mock arrogance. "Because I was just about to warn you that they don't call me Speed for nothing".

"You sure it wasn't Dweeb they were calling you Jake?" I said as I wrapped my arms around his waist.

"You know you could always grab on to the back of my shirt if you were scared of falling" he suggested.

"Maybe in desperate situations. I doubt it will come to that"

"I pray it doesn't" he said in mock horror. I punched him playfully on the arm.

"So does this thing move or what?" I said as I looked at my watch. "Because I told my mother I would be home before Cinderella's horses turn back into mice"

"Do you ever wonder why the plural for mouse is mice but the plural for house is..."

"Jake!" I said, sticking my watch in front of his face.

"Oh right" he put his foot on the pedal and started cycling. I was caught of guard and nearly fell back wards but managed to wrap my arms around his waist just in time. I didn't even realized that I did it until I saw a reflection of us in a car window. As we sped past houses on cars on his six speed bike, I wondered if I should let go of him. It felt weird to be this close to him yet I was scared to let go. He was right. He was fast.

I didn't in the end. It was comforting to hold on to him. He didn't say anything and neither did it. So we traveled in silence for a while and it felt nice to just sit behind him. My long hair blew behind me and I made no attempt to tie it back. He made a few skids here and there to impress me I think. I laughed every time he did so. He turned around to smile at me at the sound of my tinkling laughter and I took that opportunity to pull a funny face at him.

Finally we pulled to a stop but when I looked around, I realized we were not in Bridge Heights but on top of Wicker Street, the steepest road in Tree Hill.

"Jake, what are we doing here?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. I looked down at the road and my heart started hammering. I felt so high up and the road seemed never ending leading to the town below.

"I wanted to show you something" he said, climbing of the bike. He turned around to face me. "You don't have to look so afraid Sawyer" he laughed. "I ain't gonna roll ya down the hill".

"Then what are we doing here?" I asked nervously.

"It's a surprise" he said smiling. He grabbed the helmet of the back of the bike and handed it to me. "Here. Put it on".

I took it from him and fastened it on my head. "What about you? Do you have another helmet?" I asked.

"No but it's okay. I have a hard head" he said, tapping on the side of his head.

"You make it sound like we're definitely going to crash" I said timidly.

He laughed. "Nah, it's just a precaution. I just don't want anything to happen to you" he said. He must have realized how that sounded because he immediately added "then I would be the biggest nerd in school".

"Too late" I said despite my fear. "So, what's the surprise?"

He smiled mischievously at me as he nudged me forward on the bike. He then sat behind me.

"Jake? What are you doing?" I asked as I turned my head to try to look at him. "I have to tell you... I don't know how to ride a bike".

"You mean you've never ridden?" he asked casually.

"Never".

"Then it's a good thing I'm here. Just relax okay" he said as he grabbed my hands and placed them on the handlebars.

"Jake, please. I don't want to do this".

"Just relax Peyton. Trust me okay" he whispered in my ear as he placed his feet on the pedals. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes"

"Good. Now put your feet on mine okay"

I did as he asked.

"Ready?" he asked, his breath tickling my ear.

"No"

"Peyton?"

"Yeah".

"Just trust me, okay?"

"Yeah".

"Now hold your breath" he said as he slowly let go of the brakes.

It was like we were falling in slow motion. We rode down the hill in a slow pace at first and then gradually we began to pick up speed. Trees and houses rushed past us in a hazy blur! We were going down so fast I was almost afraid we were going to crash especially with me in front. But Jake was holding on so all I felt was a wave of adrenaline. I screamed as the wind blew past us and my hair whipped back.

Near the bottom of the hill, Jake suddenly raised my hands away from the handlebars. I would have screamed in protest except I was supposed to be trusting him. So I allowed him to. He raised my arms by my sides so no one was holding on to the bars. Our arms were like our wings. We were like two birds soaring in the sky. It was amazing! It was like we were gliding down the road!

"We're flying Jake" I said awed.

He didn't answer because at the last moment he grabbed onto the handlebars and braked suddenly. I would have been thrown forward except for the fact that he threw his arm around my waist to stop me. As soon as we slid to a stop, I jumped off the bicycle laughing madly. I spun around, laughing hilariously as Jake watched me amused.

"Are you okay?" he asked as I double back in laughter. I felt weak and dropped lightly on the pavement.

"Me? I'm fine" I said giggling weakly, staring up at the sky, my head light.

"What a ride eh?"

"What a ride".

Jake helped me up and we got on his bicycle again. We were quiet for a while until I had to help him out with directions.

"Turn right here. No, not here. Now! Your right! Right!" I pointed down my street.

"I know which way right is" he said annoyed.

"Prove it"

"Okay"

"Which hand am I thinking of showing you the finger with?"

"Peyton!"

"It's a joke! I don't even use the finger. It's obscene and rude"

"The opposite of you Sawyer"

"Are you being sarcastic?"

"I was being funny"

"You're not"

"How would you know?"

"I'm funny"

"You're not"

"Okay, here's the deal. We are both funny"

"Fine"

"I'm funny with words and you're funny to look at"

"Does funny sound like a weird word now?"

"How do you think words were invented?"

Jake groaned. "I don't know. Maybe some cavemen decided he was bored of grunting".

"This is my house. The light blue one"

"Thank God. It's a nice house"

I looked up at my house. In a neighborhood of big houses, it was easily the biggest. Bridge Heights was the place where most of the people from our school lived in and it was a nice a neighborhood as you could get. It wasn't exclusive but most of the houses here were big and had more than enough lawn space. There was a big lake at the end of my block that stretched along the entire neighborhood and across it was a gorgeous bridge for walking purposes only. The bridge was made entirely out of stone with two archways that were twined with dozens of flowers. Hence the name Bridge Heights.

"Thanks and thanks for the ride" I said, jumping off the bike. I brushed my windswept hair off my forehead and nodded at him. I turned away and took a few steps towards my house when I suddenly was struck by a thought. "Hey Jake?" I turned around to see him getting ready to cycle away.

"Yeah"

"When you said that Bridge Heights wasn't in your way, did you mean it?"

"What?"

"I thought you were kidding but you didn't seem to recognize your way around. So if you're not from Bridge Heights, then where are you from?

"Does it matter?"

"No. I'm just curious"

"Curiosity killed the cat you know"

"I'll tell the neighbor's one then"

He hesitated then leaned on the handlebars, thinking. Finally he raised his head and said "Rockwood"

I blinked once. Rockwood? Oh.

Rockwood was the pun of our school. While it wasn't exactly a rundown, in a county of gorgeous neighborhoods, it was easily the ugliest. Trees lined the blocks, casting a shadow over the houses even during the day. The houses were little and shabby with no lawns. Caravans filled the vacant spots. Thugs and drug addicts would hang out in the alleys creating a racket even in the day. There had only been two murders in the past decade in our county and both had been in Rockwood.

"Since when?" I asked naturally.

"All my life actually" he said looking down. "My dad's a money changer"

"Your mum?"

"She doesn't work. She's a housewife" he seemed embarrass about his family.

"I thought that was the toughest job of all"

He looked up at me and a slow smile formed on his face. "Yeah, I guess it is"

I smiled. "Thanks again" and made to turn away.

"Hey Peyton?" I swung around. "Could you do me a favor and not tell anyone in school where I live?"

"Why?"

He looked awkward. "I don't want them to think differently of me"

"No, I mean why would I tell anyone? Nobody in school even knows who you are" I stuck my tongue out at him and walked towards my front door. Behind me, I could hear him laughing.

"Mum! I'm home" I said as I closed the front door shut.

"Since when does that require a headline?" a voice drawled out from the living room on my right. I walked into the room and groaned. The voice continued "you always seem to come back even when we tell you very clearly not to"

"Mum! David's being a pain again!"

"Since when does that require a headline?" my mum said as she walked into the room from the kitchen, her cheeks red from the heat. She was still dressed in her work clothes, a short black skirt and a black vest over a white shirt. Brooke loves my mum's fashion sense. I swear sometimes when she slept over, she would try to sneak into my mother's closet to peek at all the beautiful clothes.

"Where were you honey?" my mother asked as she picked up a stack of mail that was lying by my older brother's couch. We call it David's couch because he doesn't let anyone else use it. Not like we want to, my brother has an odor that...well, he smells really bad.

"I was with Brooke and Lucas in Papa's café. The horror" I said dramatically as I dropped onto the armchair.

"Was it that bad?" my mother asked sympathetically.

"Well, when your best friend and the guy you like are kissing in front of you, then yeah, it was that bad"

"You should do what I do" David said as he tried to reach for the remote without moving much. My mother gave up watching and walked over to the remote and handed it to him even if it was two feet away.

"What's that?" I asked.

"Like girls. They're much easier"

I rolled my eyes. "Even when they curse at you for looking at another girl and keep asking you questions like..."

"Honey? Do I look fat in this outfit?" my mother and I said simultaneously.

David rolled his eyes and was about to retort then realized that it was too much energy and gave up.

"Anyway, honey. Dinner's almost done. Go get your sister" my mother said as she turned towards the kitchen again.

"Tessa!" I yelled.

"I could have done that. I meant get up and go call her. Get your dad too"

I grunted and stood up. I walked across the hallway to the next room where my little seven year old sister was playing in. She had on a Barney video and was singing in tune with Barney and his friends.

"Tess, come on. Dinner's ready" I said, lifting her up in my arms.

"Look, Peyton. I drew a princess!" she said as she waved a blank piece of paper at me. Okay, my sister might not be the smartest kid her age but she makes up for it by being the cutest.

"Binky?" I said using her pet name. "The paper's empty" I said as I carried her to the kitchen.

"No, I used invincible ink!"

"Invisible" I hoped to God she married a rich man.

"Dad!" I yelled as I passed by the stairs. "Dinner's ready!"

"Did you cook it?" he called out.

"Does it matter?" I said stopping at the base of the stairs, Tessa in my arms.

"If you made it, I'm not coming down"

"Fine! I didn't"

"Coming" he said as he ran down the stairs.

"I hate this family" I muttered under my breath, trying not to smile.

After dinner, I lay on my bed, a blank piece of paper before me. I was just thinking on something to draw when a rock flew into my window, nearly shattering my Lava lamp.

"What the heck?" I said as I got up from bed and walked tentatively to the window, trying not to get hit by a rock. I looked down to see who was knocking on my window and let out a little gasp.

"Hi" he called out in the darkness.

"Hi Luke" I whispered.


End file.
